Runner or guideway



Julie 17, 1969 c. H. KOCH, JR Q 3,449,863

RUNNER 0R GUiDEWAY Filed Jan. 24, 1968 United States Patent 3,449,863 RUNNER 0R GUIDEWAY Charles H. Koch, Jr., Glenside, Pa., assignor to Young Windows, Inc., Coushohocken, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Jan. 24, 1968, Ser. No. 700,293

, Int. Cl. E05 3/22 U.S. Cl. 49-428 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A runner or guideway which is adapted for insertion into the U-shaped channel of a frame assembly in which is positioned a screen mounted in a housing member which is slidable to and fro on the runner. The runner, a bench-shaped strip of flexible polyethylene, has a seat or runway on which the screen housing member can slide easily to and fro and a back which projects upwardly from the runway and is inclined outwardly therefrom. The back is in frictional engagement with a side wall of the U-shaped channel and functions to keep the runner wedged in the channel once it is inserted under pressure therein. The underside of the runway has two legs in spaced relation to each other.. Each of the legs is adapted to frictionally engage one of the side Walls of the U- shaped channel and as such they cooperate with the back to keep the runner wedged in the channel.

.This invention relates to a runner or guideway which is insertable in a U-shaped channel in which there is positioned a member which is slidable to and fro in the channel.

The runner of this invention will be described in connection with a window and/or screen frame assembly having a U-shaped channel in which is positioned a screen housing member which is slidable to and fro in the channel; Such frame assemblies are well-known and are used, forexample, in buses, trailers and other vehicles. However, it should be understood that the use of the runner of this invention is not limited to such frame assemblies, but. that it can be used in any U-shaped channel which accommodates a member movable to and fro therein.

It is known to provide buses and other vehicles with frame assemblies which hold housing members for windows and screens and which members are slidably movable to and fro on tracks of the frame, In one type of frame assembly, the track for the screen housing member is a U-shaped channel in which the member can slide back and forth.

In general, such frame assemblies, including the housing members, are made of metal, such as for example aluminum. Al;hough many advantages are realized by making the frame assemblies of aluminum, a problem that is encountered is that there is a tendency for the housing member not to slide in the channel as easily as is the screwing in of each of the individual buttons is a timeconsuming and tedious job which adds greatly to the cost of making the frame assembly.

In connection with frame assemblies of the type described above, it is also known to design the screen housing member in a manner such that thehousing member can be positioned in and lifted out of the channel in which it slides with relative ease. To accomplish this, the top surface of the housing member is provided with a leaf type spring. In positioning the housing member in th channel, the top of the member is first inserted by hand into the channel at the top of the frame assembly to the extent that the spring is depressed, thus allowing the bottom of the housing member to be lifted over the side wall of the channel at the bottom of the frame assembly and inserted therein.

In order to prevent the screen housing member from wobbling in the channel, it has been found that it is necessary that the depth of the channel at the bottom of the frame assembly be less than the depth of the channel at the top of the assembly. This is generally accomplished by inserting an aluminum filler bar on the floor of the channel at the bottom of the frame assembly, on which bar the housing member slides. The cost of the aluminum filler bar and its installation adds to the cost of the frame assembly and consequently it would be advantageous if this aspect of the design of the assembly could be improved.

In accordance with this invention, there is provided a runner or guideway, which can also function as a filler bar, and which can easily be inserted under pressure into a U -shaped channel, but when inserted is wedged tightly therein, and which comprises a runway for receiving a member movable to and fro thereon, support means'underlying the runway and a flexible back which projects upwardly and is inclined outwardly from the runway, wherein the angle of inclination of the flexible back and the Width of the runway is inter-related with the width of the U-shaped channel, so that the runner upon being inserted into the channel is wedged therein.

When the runner is being inserted into the channel, the outwardly inclined back flexes inwardly toward the runway being pushed in that direction by the side wall of the channel. When the runner has been inserted into the channel, the back, because it is made of a flexible material, tends to want to return to its original angle of inclination and in so doing it exerts pressure on the side wall of the channel. In so doing the outer surface of the back is in frictional engagement with a side wall of the channel so that the runner will not slip out of the channel under ordinary conditions of use. Nevertheless, the runner can be removed by hand and pulled out of the channel if necessary. The flexible nature of the back also desired due to the metal to metal contact of the base of I the housing with the floor of the channel. This problem tends to become more acute as the frame assembly is used over a period of time. v

Developments have-been made for the purpose of alleviating or overcoming the problem outlined above, but they, for one reason or another, have shortcomings. For example, it is known to attach to the base of the screen housing member individual plastic pieces on which the housing member slides on the floor of the channel of the frame. More specifically, so-called polyethylene buttons are attached to the base of the screen housing member along the length of the base by screwing the buttons into holes which have been drilled. into the housing member. It will be appreciated that the drilling of the holes and allows the runner to be inserted rather easily into the channel under pressure, such as that which can be exerted by the appendages of the hand, because the outwardly inclined back as it comes into contact'with the side wall of the channel gives and flexes inwardly toward the runway. Y

The support means underlying the-runway preferably comprise two legs, which are in spaced relation to each other and at least one of which, but preferably both of which, are flexible. The legs are positioned on the runner so that their outer surfaces are in frictional engagement with the side walls of the channels and as such they contribute to the wedging of the runner in the channel.

In its preferred form, the runner of this invention comprises a bench-shaped strip of flexible material. This em.- bodiment of the invention is described in detail hereinafter in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a frame assembly; and

FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional projected view of a segment of the runner of this invention.

With reference to FIGURE 1, there is shown a runner R wedged in the Ushaped channel C which is part of an aluminum frame, the details of which are not shown because such frames are well-known and form no part of this invention.

Positioned on the runway 2 of the runner R, for slidable to and fro movement on the runway, is aluminum screen housing member 20. The screen retainer 22 holds screen 24 in the housing member 20. The appendages 26 and 28 of the housing member 20 slide on the runway. The details of the housing member, screen retainer and screen are not shown because they are well known and form no part of the invention described herein.

FIGURE 2 clearly shows the runner. It is a benchshaped strip of flexible material, such as for example flexible polyethylene, which can be conveniently made by available extrusion methods.

In general, the runner will have a length corresponding to the length of the channel into which it is inserted or a length at least corresponding to the distance the screen housing member can slide in the channel.

As mentioned above, the runner includes the runway 2 for receiving screen housing 20 which is movable to and fro thereon. When the runway accommodates a slidable member such as the housing member 20, the runner should be made from a material which is not only flexible, but one which also has a relatively low coeflicient of friction so .that the runway will provide a surface on which the housing member can slide back and forth easily. Polyethylene is an example of a preferred material that can satisfyboth of these requirements.

Projecting upwardly and inclined outwardly from the runway 2 is the back 4 which extends the length of the runway. To increase the ease with which the housing member 20 can be inserted into and on the runway 2, it is preferred that the back 4 be tapered. This avoids having the housing member meet with a flat surface as it is being positioned on the runway. Furthermore, the top of the tapered back, that is, the thin section, tends to curl toward the side wall of the channel and thus grip it more tightly.

Underlying the runway 2 is the front leg 6 and in spaced relation thereto the rear leg 8 each of which extend the length of the runway.

The angle of inclination of the outwardly projecting back 4, the width of the runway 2 and the positioning of the front and rear legs 6 and 8 respectively, are interrelated with the width of the Ushaped channel C so that the runner upon being inserted under hand pressure into the'channel is wedged therein. Thus, when the runner is inserted into the channel, the front and rear legs will fiex inwardly toward each other, such flexing movement being facilitated due to the Ushaped hollow or slot 10 formed by and between the legs, and the back will flex inwardly toward the runway as its angle of inclination tends to assume an angle of 90 due to contact with the side wall of the channel. When the runner is in position in the channel, the outer surfaces of the back and rear leg are in tight frictional engagement with the side wall 16 of the channel and the outer surface of the front leg is in tight frictional engagement with the side wall 14 of the channel. The overall result is that the runner is tightly wedged in the channel.

Although the invention has been described with respect to the use of a runner for accommodating a slidable member, its use is not so limited. For example, the runner can be utilized to accommodate a rolling member, such as for example, one provided with ball bearings. When the runner is so used, it is not so important that the runway be of a material having a relatively low coeflicient of friction and in such application the runway may comprise a natural or synthetic rubber material.

Although it is preferred to use flexible polyethylene as the material of construction of the runner, other materials can of course be used, including for example, nylon and Teflon.

The use of the runner of this invention has a number of advantages over means heretofore used for accommodating movable members in a Ushaped channel. In this regard, it will be appreciated that the overall cost of making and installing the runner in the channel is a great deal less than that method which requires the attachment of individual plastic buttons by screws to the housing member.

It is also noted that the runner of this invention, in addition to providing a surface on which a housing membeer can easily slide, also functions as a filler bar. Consequently, by the use of this invention, there is obtained the further advantage that the runner by itself performs functions thatheretofore were performed by two different structures, that is the plastic buttons and aluminum filler bars.

I claim:

1. A runner, insertable in a Ushaped channel, for receiving a member movable to and fro thereon, the runner comprising:

(a) a runway for receiving said member;

(b) support means underlying the runway; and

(c) a flexible back connected to one side of the runway and projecting upwardly and inclined outwardly from the runway; the angle of inclination of the flexible back and the width of the runway'being interrelated with the width of the Ushaped channel, so that the runner upon being inserted under pressure into the channel is wedged therein.

2. A runner according to claim 1 wherein the support means comprises a front leg and a rear leg in spaced relation to each other, one of said legs being flexible and positioned on the underside of the runway so that it flexes toward the other leg when the runner is inserted under pressure into the channel, thereby contributing to the wedging of the runner in the channel.

3;. A runner "according to claim 1 wherein the support means comprises a flexible front leg and a flexible rear leg, said legs being in spaced relation to each other, each of said legs being positioned on the underside of the runway so that they flex toward each other when the runner is inserted under pressure into the channel, therebylcontributing to the wedging of the runner in the channe 4. A runner, insertable in a Ushaped channel, for receiving a member movable to and fro thereon, the runner comprising:

. (a) a runway for receiving said member;

.(b) a front leg and a rear leg, each underlying the runway and extending the length of the runway, the front and rear legs being in spaced relation to each other providing a Ushaped hollow extending the length of the runway; and v (c) a back connected to one side of the runway and projecting upwardly and inclined outwardly from the runway in the region of the rear leg, the back extending the length of the runway; the runner being a strip of flexible material, and the angle of inclination of the back, the width of the runway and the positioning of the front and rear legs being interrelated with the width of the Ushaped channel so that the runner upon being inserted under pressure into the channel is wedged therein due to the frictional engagement of the outer surface of each of the back and the rear leg with a side wall of the channel and to the frictional engagement of the outer surface of the front leg with the other side wall of the channel.

5. A runner according to claim 4 wherein the runway is substantially flat.

6. A runner according to claim 4 wherein the flexible material is polyethylene.

7. A runner according to claim 4 wherein the back is tapered.

8. The combination comprising a frame having a U- shaped channel and a runner positioned in the channel for receiving a member movable to and fro, wherein the runner comprises:

(a) a runway for receiving said member;

(b) support means underlying the runway; and

(c) a flexible back connected to one side of the runway and projecting upwardly and inclined outwardly from the runway;

the angle of inclination of the flexible back and the width 15 of the runway being interrelated with the Width of the U-shaped channel, so that the runner upon being inserted under pressure into the channel is wedged therein.

6 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS 11/ 1964 Great Britain.

REINALDO P. MACHADO, Primary Examiner. P. C. KANNAN, Assistant Examiner.

U.S. Cl. X.R. 

